The 'Yes to Life' Platform, representing over 500 associations, has expressed its discontent with what it considers "institutional hurdles" to carry out the 'Yes to Life' March scheduled for this Sunday in Madrid. According to organizers, the Government Delegation has compelled them to significantly shorten the planned itinerary and alter both the starting and ending points of the event.
The route will finally begin at 12:00 PM at the intersection of Serrano Street and Ortega y Gasset Street, heading towards Paseo de la Castellana, where the main stage will be set up. The conveners state that the original route, which was to start at Serrano Street corner of Goya Street, was substantially reduced despite having submitted all required documentation in advance.
Organizational issues date back months. The march was initially planned for March 22nd, but the Delegation communicated the need to change the date due to a conflict with a marathon. Subsequently, the event was postponed due to clashes with other public events, with May eventually being offered, albeit with added complications from the two public holidays during that month.
Following these postponements, May 31st was set as the definitive date. However, organizers believe this date also presents difficulties as it falls a week before the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Madrid. The platform also regrets the denial of fencing for crowd control, a circumstance that has forced them to hire a private fencing service costing over 400 euros.
Once the date was confirmed and details approved, the Government Delegation notified on May 5th the modification of the arrival point, changing from Paseo de Recoletos to Paseo de la Castellana number 1. The most unexpected change occurred just five days before the event, on May 26th, when the alteration of the starting point was also communicated.
The 'Yes to Life' Platform emphasizes that the 15-year history of this march in Spain, which has never caused problems, has not been taken into account. Despite the imposed modifications, the entity has encouraged citizens to participate, stating that it "deserves all efforts to defend life and confront all abuses against human life and its dignity."
The platform asserts that the event will proceed with the unified and festive tone characteristic since the 2011 agreements, while expressing "indignation" over the "continuous stumbling blocks" that, in their view, hinder the mobilization. The organizing groups will march in "hope green" under the slogan “Yes to Life,” defending human life and dignity, with their objective of gathering committed citizens intact despite the shorter route.
